More than 150,000 visitors admired the treasures of ancient Greece at the Canadian Museum of History

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Gatineau, Quebec, October 19, 2015 — More than 150,000 people visited The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great during its four-month run at the Canadian Museum of History, making it one of the most successful exhibitions in the Museum’s recent history.

The Museum is delighted that the most comprehensive exhibition on ancient Greece to tour North America in a generation was met with great enthusiasm from visitors, as demonstrated by the impressive attendance figures. In total, 151,576 people converged at the Museum over the course of the exhibition for the opportunity to see the rare objects first-hand.

Visitors of all ages also enjoyed the program of activities held in conjunction with the exhibition. In particular, lectures from Canadian and Greek experts on the mysteries of Ancient Greece were well-attended on each of the four nights they were offered.

The exhibition, organized by a consortium led by the Museum of four North American museums took visitors on a journey through 5,000 years of Greek culture, from the Neolithic Era to the age of Alexander the Great. The public had a chance to admire over 500 treasures of antiquity from 21 Greek museums, many of which had never been exhibited outside Greece.

“The Greeks has enhanced public understanding of the history of the Greek people and their important contributions to the development of philosophy, democracy and the arts,” said Jean-Marc Blais, Director General of the Canadian Museum of History. “The Museum is proud to have played a leading role in developing and presenting this exceptional exhibition. We hope that it has inspired even more Canadians to visit Greece and explore its many treasures. The Museum would like to thank the Greek communities in Canada who embraced and supported the exhibition, as well as the many researchers and experts in Canada and abroad who helped to bring this project to fruition.”

The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great was shown at Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, from December 2014 to April 2015 before being presented at the Canadian Museum of History from June to October 2015. In all, more than 280,000 visitors had a chance to admire the precious artifacts at these two Canadian museums.

The exhibition will now continue its North American tour with a stop at the Field Museum in Chicago, where it will be presented from November 2015 to April 2016. Its last stop will be at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC from May to October 2016, after which the objects will return to Greece.

The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great is produced by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs (Athens, Greece), the Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau, Canada), The Field Museum (Chicago, USA), the National Geographic Museum (Washington, DC, USA) and Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex (Montréal, Canada), with the support of the Government of Canada.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural institution, attracting over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture. Work of the Canadian History Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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